


Inattention was not my Intention

by Madame de flammes (owlaholic68)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-13 21:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16899945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlaholic68/pseuds/Madame%20de%20flammes
Summary: Indrid Cold, the Mothman, is a threat. A danger to the tree. He must be dealt with.The missing scene from Episode 19 where the Goatman gets the jump on Indrid.





	Inattention was not my Intention

 

A constant buzzing has taken up residence behind Indrid’s eyes.

The premonition of something big, something potentially disastrous. A convergence of probable and possible and impossible and likely futures swimming in the empty space between his glasses and his eyes. The softness of the couch cushion behind his knees turning into nothing as Indrid stands, leaving the mostly unconscious goatman on the floor nestled between the table and seat. Half blind, scrambling for pencil and paper. A chill of worry that no amount of space heaters could ease.

Disaster. Indrid rarely spends time foreseeing miracles and blessings. Disaster again, and there will not be enough time to prevent it-

There will be enough time, the Pine Guard will succeed-

They will not, they will be crushed under the weight of a thousand branches, beat to death by Goatmen, enveloped by spores and swallowed by roots-

Sinkhole, sinking, falling, crushing-

A flurry of false snow, a blizzard-

Indrid is shivering, hands shaking. He crashes into his bedroom and pulls on a sweater, letting the too-long sleeves warm his wrists. A hat shoved over his scruffy hair. A worn gray cardigan on top of his sweater. A glance at the unmoving Goatman then back to the paper, an eternal slave to the visions, the thoughts that drive his hands to fury and madness-

Focus.

The Pine Guard? How will our brave adventurers fare? So many options, always so many wildly varying possibilities with this new Abomination.

Ned Chicane, complicated Ned, duplicitous Ned, Ned “Jack of all trades, master of none” Chicane. Ned who stays in cover and whose attacks are ineffective at best and pointless at worst. Ned who brings Billy along, Ned who leaves Billy at the Lodge, Ned who leaves Billy at the Cryptonomica. Ned who doesn’t unjam the nail gun, Ned who is bludgeoned and who doesn’t get back up-

Aubrey Little. The reckless Lady Flame, the impulsive, the sensitive, the questioning, Aubrey the sincere one. Aubrey in flames, Aubrey in swirling winds, Aubrey who listens and who speaks and who asks things instead of merely taking, Aubrey who has _learned._ Aubrey who puts herself in too much danger, Aubrey who the tree gleefully strikes down before she can back up her teammates-

Indrid who is no longer hearing, no longer paying attention to the present. He only sees and writes and reaches for the phone.

And Duck, Duck Newton, man of a thousand futures and one single immutable destiny. Unpredictable to an unexpected degree. Pacifist and calm and tactical, compassionate and firm in his beliefs. Duck striking, head-on attacking, sneaking, protecting, freeing Indrid from the chains that bind him-

Wait. What?

Indrid drops his pencil and shuffles through the papers, throwing useless ones to the side, discarding futures as soon as he sees them. But in all these possibilities, he’s not in town at the disaster. He’s not in his Winnebago calling the Pine Guard. He is at the scene of the battle, he is prone on the forest floor. Variations of the same vision repeat:

Duck, slicing through the chains with Beacon. Duck, wrestling a Goatman to the ground while Indrid frees himself. Aubrey, trying to burn through the chains and failing. Ned, nervous, fumbling to unwrap the chains that are constricting Indrid. Duck, getting hit before he can help Indrid. Ned, rolling Indrid away from the scene and leaving him to free himself. The most unlikely: the trio simply not rescuing him.

But how – why – when-

How: The Goatman. Why: Because Indrid is seeing this and his hand is on the phone about to warn the Pine Guard. When: Now.

Indrid has the moment to realize the implications of that. And then his head is slammed against the table. Head pounding like a fleet of drummers, the bright lights of the Winnebago assaulting his half-open eyes like they have a personal vendetta against his rapidly forming concussion, Indrid crumpling to the floor because of the visions and the surprise and the shock.

Pain and panic and the Goatman, now awake, hauling Indrid out the door and into the chill of a foreboding December evening.

Option one: struggle. Fight. As the poets would say, to not go gentle into that cold winter night towards an abominably twisted veneration of nature. Likely outcome: retaliation and a quick agonizing end. This will make it more difficult for rescue. Chance of success of freeing himself this way: a mere one percent.

Option two: stay calm. A boulder against the raging storm. He will be restrained but not hurt. Chance of rescue: ninety-nine percent.

Indrid would prefer the not-pain option, thank you very much. He goes slack and lets his internal panic flow through his feet and into the forgiving earth. The chains aren’t so tight if he doesn’t struggle.

“A lot of work for a little ol’ soothsayer,” Indrid mumbles to the Goatman dragging him along the bumpy and unaccommodating forest floor. If the Abomination can see them through these entities, it stands to reason that sound can carry too, whether or not it will be understood. “Hey, any chance you could wrap me in chains that aren’t f-frozen solid?”

The Goatman ignores him. Typical. Nobody has any sense of manners these days.

“Well, I guess I’ll just lay here then.” Indrid sighs and resigns himself to getting comfortable in this distinctly uncomfortable situation. He bumps along and shivers and hopes that the Pine Guard will come get him soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Tumblr if you'd like @owlaholic68!


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